Moto3 Japan: Brilliant Bezzecchi snatches win as Martin, 'Diggia' fall
The heartache of being taken out in Thailand turned to elation as Marco Bezzecchi powered out of Victory Corner and pulled ahead to win the Moto3 Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi.
It was Darryn Binder who had lead coming into the final corner on the last lap, but the Redox PruestelGP had great grip and a perfect line on exit to allow Bezzecchi to charge over the line in first on his KTM by just 0.041s.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta got a huge slipstream on his Leopard Honda to also nip ahead of the South African - by a tyre width - but the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was still pleased to pick up his first podium finish after missing a gear in the run to the line.
The result slashes the championship gap to just one point - Jorge Martin (204 points) had already survived one near miss after he was caught out by Bezzecchi playing it safe and staying out of trouble on the inside, saving his wobbling Gresini, before running wide lead to a self-inflicted crash with five laps remaining.
Earlier in the race Fabio Di Giannantonio, who had brought himself back into the title hunt with his superb win in Thailand, had hit the gravel after trying too hard to bridge the gap following a poor qualifying which saw him start fifteenth. He was taken to hospital after banging his head in the fall.
Every position in the lead group was hard fought for and Dennis Foggia (Sky Racing VR46) was unlucky to finish off the rostrum after the highly competitive final lap, but it marked a strong follow-up result for the rookie following his first podium finish in Buriram.
John McPhee had also remained in contention following his front row start for CIP-Green Power and looked much more competitive than in recent rounds as he battled to sixth.
Tony Arbolino crossed the finish line seventh for the Marinelli Snipers Team - his best grand prix finish to date.
Eighth went to polesitter Gabriel Rodrigo, who stayed on board after two falls in warm-up for RBA.
Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing) was the best of the Japanese riders on home soil in ninth.
Jakub Kornfeil lead the chasing group over the line on the second Redox PruestelGP entry to complete the top ten.
Just behind the Czech rider, the Bester Capital Dubai duo of Jaume Masia and Marcos Ramirez were next to take the chequered flag, in eleventh and twelfth respectively.
The remaining points were collected by Andrea Migno ( (Angel Nieto Team) in 13th, Celestino Vietti (Replacing the injured Nicolo Bulega at Sky Racing VR46) in 14th on his championship debut and Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) in 15th.
Aron Canet’s return after missing two rounds with a shoulder injury ended in disaster as he did not see the end of lap one.
Wildcard Yuto Fukushima lasted only one lap longer, as did both Nico Antonelli and Vincente Perez, with the Spaniard’s rash move seeing the duo exit on stretchers.
Kazuki Masaki was next to crash but remounted for 22nd one place ahead of female wildcard rider Shizuka Okazaki.
Albert Arenas was flicked off of his KTM with ten laps remaining at the fast V curve.
Bulega was absent as he recovers from tendon surgery after an accident at home in the break between races.
